Chad_O

5 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I'm [more than] a bit confused.  The chef (or is he a butcher?) who is heading up this partnership is Italian, with a famous butcher shop in Tuscany.  The Crown Grill is going to get a Chef's Dinner featuring a Florentine Steak from said chef/butcher.  But the Butcher's Block menu says at the bottom that all of the meat sourced for that restaurant comes from Spain. So is Princess tapping into this butcher's famous offerings at Butcher's Block, or is the chef/butcher merely adding his name to the operation?

Dario is a butcher in Tuscany. He has been featured in many magazines and books. In one, (Heat by Anthony Bourdain maybe) he discussed raising his cattle herd in Italy but land cost and pasturage made it difficult so he moved it to Spain. The cows are put down in Spain and then trucked to Tuscany daily to be butchered. I don't see how any of his herd can be served onboard so it will be a partial experience but still very good I bet.n

So sorry for your loss. I would urge you to go. There have been many great suggestions to fill your time on board. Meals would be the hardest time but i suspect that just mentioning it was your first cruise after your loss will have people rally around you. I am sure your husband would want you to go and enjoy yourself. I would suggest travelling with a small photo of you two together so he can still share the experience. A further suggestion from a friend was to follow her example and take a journal. She did this after the loss of her husband and essentially wrote him letters about her days and had remembrances of their times together. She said there were so many good memories that came to mind that it was as if her husband was there with her. I hope you are able to go and I hope you have a wonderful time.

They are allowed and my nephew and nieces have enjoyed several times from the age of 6 and up. 

I hope we are offered Crete rather than Santorini. I just hate the idea of the overcrowding on Santorini. I will keep my fingers crossed!

Changing rooms do have lockers and showers. 

2 hours ago, iramack said:

Will Regal Princess be the same as the pictures?   I'm on Dec 3rd....................

 

No it is different. The Regal has the Enclave Supplement Charge space with a large whirlpool, dry heat and steam heat rooms, heated loungers, therapy showers. It is co-ed and great but there is very little stimulating conversation. It is quiet and understated. I really like it. 

well we can say that now but not then.

Maybe we could ask Bette Midler...😉

This must go back to the old bathhouse days. I just can't imagine that it is unique to cruise ships. 

There is a complete menu of included food which I really enjoyed. In addition, there are a few items i.e. some steaks and a lobster tail available for a surcharge. I found the steaks very good but the lobster tail was not very good. I personally think it is nice to have those items available but I would not be likely to order the steak again as I found the included menu nice. 

I am so sorry for your loss. May the memories of your wife be a blessing. I was on the Enchanted in April and really enjoyed it. She is a big ship but I felt the Staff really made a great effort to keep people involved without it feeling frenzied. The entertainment was top notch from the big production shows down to the small venues with a solo singer, a comedian, or the small music ensembles. The food options were all great. I really like a pizza slice or a burger by the pool and often shared a table during peak hours and met some new folks who shared insights on the cruise thus far and upcoming ports. I give you so much credit for taking a cruise. While onboard, take things as they come and at your pace and have a great time. Best wishes to you! 

In terms of a sale, I was able to re-fare my April 27 sailing from Rome today and save $766.00, garnered more OBC and is a refundable deposit. 

second vote for the Bamboo Massage. I am a big guy and the massage techs sometimes struggle with the bulk and muscle mass. The bamboo gives them leverage and it feels so great. i have rarely had issues with an up-sell pressures.  

I agree. In recent days I have had a few simple questions about a refund and some OBC and have been on hold for hours only to be told by Mars the CSR that he could not be able to help me nor could he refer me to someone who could. I could not have a supervisor or manager's name nor be referred to another level of CSR. I will complete the 2 booked cruises with Princess but will not continue to book further cruises.  

9 hours ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

Vodka!  They run out of vodka!!  😜

Sir, clearly we know the same bears!

6 hours ago, DHP1 said:

FYI. https://www.bearcruises.com

 

I love the bears but I wonder if they ever run out of pizza or brownies? 

I was able to log in but could not book a cruise for April of 2024. 

Following ankle surgery I had to use a Roll-a-tor knee scooter during a cruise. It was pretty manageable. I did not have a barrier free/accessible cabinet but I knew I could manage. I did request a shower bench to help overcome the bathtub side wall. The proximity of the tub and the vanity on either side of the toilet was a big help in managing there. I was able to manage to get over the threshold to access the balcony. The dining venues were all accessible. The hot tub in the Enclave area had stairs i could manage. The adult only Retreat Pool also had stairs. The only difficulties I had were waiting for overcrowded elevators and being prevented from using tenders for shore excursions. Beyond my experience I did have a family member who requested an accessible cabin to accommodate her walker and that was fantastic. Grab bars, shower bench, no threshold patio door to balcony etc. I hope your friend can take the cruise and has a great time.

I cruised with several family members a few years ago and put together little gift bags for each of them. I had the plastic luggage tag sleeves, a few wall magnets with hooks, some ginger chews for motion sickness and a collapsible refillable water bottle all purchased from the huge online retailer. it worked out to about $12 per person. 

18 hours ago, wowzz said:

Why harsh  ?

Kusadasi is not a major cargo port. And there are plenty of ports far closer to the earthquake zone.

I fully endorse your comments about donations.  I assume that there have been appeals onTV and in the press in the US, the same as in the UK ?

I found it harsh in its dismissiveness. I assume it was not your intention. many people are not necessarily well versed with the geography let alone port service infrastructure. There could be more viable highway and rail connections there than other ports. I am clueless but i understand this community and its kindness and willingness to share. As for television ads for aid; I have seen none. I live close to the largest concentration of Lebanese and Syrians outside the middle east so the concern level is very high. The biggest point of discussion is how to provide aid that will not benefit the Assad regime in Syria.  

On 2/23/2023 at 11:03 AM, wowzz said:

It's like not going to Norfolk, Virginia,  because of an earthquake in Boston !

Wow such harshness. I wondered about itinerary changes to Kusadasi too. Not because of proximity to the epicenter but because I thought cargo ships carrying aid might take precedence in harbors and at docks.  If you have the means and the interest a donation to Red Cross/Red Crescent for Turkish relief is a great thing. 

perhaps the difference is the OP is discussing a room service order through the app which is not covered by the drinks packages from what i understand. Perhaps others can verify. 

On 2/15/2023 at 4:04 PM, roadster08 said:

For those who find it difficult to tip the recommended amount, let me offer a different perspective.

 

Tipping for good service is a "pay it forward," selfless, cultural practice in many places. In other words, if you have a good experience from someone who expects to be tipped, many times it is because people  before you tipped generously (not always, but frequently). When people who expect tips give poor service, it is often because they feel they were under tipped in the past. 

 

Your tip encourages the person being tipped to offer the same level of service to the next person that you received. Why? Because tomorrow, you might very well be that next person. 

 

Some ask why not just charge what the service is worth up front and do away with the tipping? That would be logical but it is not the culture that people who live in that place want to promote. 

Roadster Thank you so much for your insights. They are refreshing. I have always wondered if those who have worked for tips have a different attitude towards tipping from those who have not. Many years ago while my mom was finishing her degree she worked at a job that relied on tips. Her customers always rewarded her hard work and I can remember celebrating the days when she made $25.00 in tips in 1970. To this day she remains the most generous tipper I know because she knows that any individual might be a 24 year old widowed single mother college student with huge ambitions. I assume my servers, porters, cab drivers etc. have a little guy at home waiting to count out the money each day and prepare for that Monday bank bag deposit. For me those tips built a beautiful world that paved the way for private schools, university,  world travel and all the good things that I know. 

3 hours ago, JoshuaLifter said:

Email me if you want a hilarious Epic Shower story!

I could use a good laugh too. I would appreciate you sharing it. icosahedron2020 at gee mail dot com. 

9 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

I can't understand half the things she says.  She drops her voice at the end of each sentence.  I'll stick with Tony from La Lida Loca.

 

Doesn't the "Crooo-oooos-ing and jazz hands drive you crazy? I was one and done.